Is It Too Late
by WhimsyNeptune
Summary: Kara glared. "What are you doing here, Lena? It's been over a year!" Lena gulped "I-I know that, but… I was just wondering if maybe you'd like to get some coffee sometime? Perhaps just to talk? I've missed you."
1. Chapter 1

The reveal had gone horribly. Lena had felt betrayed, and she'd lashed out without giving herself time to process… Which led to a heart wrenching break up.

Looking back now she didn't even understand why she'd reacted so severely…

Kara was Supergirl… so what? What in god's name did that change? That should have, if anything, made Lena love her more, and it did… once she got past her initial (misplaced) anger.

She hadn't even been angry at _Kara_ either. She was mad at herself for not providing an environment where Kara felt safe enough to tell her. She was mad at herself for letting a pigtail and glasses disguise her girlfriend for over two years. She was angry at herself for being mad at herself, but she was never genuinely mad at Kara.

But she let her ego get the better of her. She'd broken up with Kara, moved L-Corp to Gotham, and never responded to Kara's calls or texts. Never answered the door when she came knocking, never let her in when Jess informed her that Kara was there to see her at her new office.

Nothing.

Because she was ashamed.

Ashamed of her initial reaction. Ashamed of how hurt she'd made Kara feel for no logical reason. Ashamed of the vitriol she spewed in Kara's direction all because of a secret she'd had _every right_ to keep to herself.

She was never mad at Kara, never even upset with her, but she'd been furious with herself, and lashed out at the wrong person.

 _"So you're Supergirl?" Lena had snarled._

 _Kara nodded, tears caressing her cheeks. "I-I wanted to tell you Lena, but I was just so scared I'd put a bigger target on your back, and I-,"_

 _"A bigger target? I'm a fucking_ _Luthor_ , _Kara. There is no bigger target. You were just being a selfish bitch! But what's to be expected of a Super, really? It shouldn't' be that shocking to me. You're just like your cousin."_

Lena grimaced at the memory, knowing that it only got worse from that point on. Hating herself for ever talking to Kara in that manner. But she intended to make up for it all. Kara was the love of her life, and even though it'd been a year and four months, and she messed up horribly, she knew that she was the love of Kara's life as well.

Her driver pulled up in front of Kara's apartment building, and Lena got out, hoping and praying that this wasn't the stupidest idea she'd ever had. She inhaled deeply to abate the swirling in her stomach and stepped into the building.

She reached the stairs that led straight to Kara's floor, and her heart flipped in her chest with anticipation for what was to come. She was excited, terrified, and anxious all in one.

She knocked on the door. Once. Twice. Three times before the door opened.

And, Lena knew it'd been a while since she'd seen Kara, but she knew this wasn't her. "May I help you?" The man asked.

Lena stood there frozen for a moment before she realized that the man had asked her something. "I'm sorry… I-… I think I have the wrong building. Is this 2345 Crawford Street?"

The man furrowed his brow. "Yeah?"

Lena's heart plummeted. "Oh! Good! I'm looking for Kara Danvers! Is she here?"

"No." The man cocked his head. "She moved out ten months ago."

Lena's stomach sank a bit deeper. "Do you have a forwarding address?"

"Yes." The man replied incredulously.

"May I have it please?"

"You the ex?"

"I…" Lena paused, confused. "Yes?"

He nodded and smiled. "I don't know what you did, but whatever it was, thank you, You're the reason I got such a cheap deal on this place."

Lena frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, three months after you left she put up an ad for this place and I got a great deal on it." He grabbed newspaper off of a desk by the door and handed it to her. "See?"

Lena looked at the ad in the magazine and felt ill. " _Looking for a buyer for a 1400 Square Foot loft. It has two beds, one and a half baths, a balcony, a large eat-in kitchen. Looking to sell for cheap. Just need to leave because of a bad break up. Please call 374-4750 to schedule a walk through_."

She looked at the man. "I hurt her that badly?"

The gruff man shrugged. "Don't know. Seems like it though. You want that forwarding address or not?" He asked.

All Lena was capable of doing was nodding her head, because she wanted that address more than anything, but her entire body was on fire with guilt because of how hurt Kara seemed to be.

She accepted the offered address and thanked the man with a curt nod before running down the steps and to her waiting car. Once she was in the back seat, she handed her driver the address and sat back impatiently waiting to reach Kara's new home.

 **XXX**

When they reached the address, Lena was shocked to find that it was in the upscale part of town. It was in a neighborhood quite like her own. The houses were three stories or more; they were made of stone with grand fountains and large driveways.

Lena's driver pulled into a smaller driveway that led to a house far less elegant than the others, but still quite nice for what it was. The siding was a beautiful deep brown, the black metal roof was high, triangular, with one side slightly longer than the other. And was covered with black shingles. There was a small chimney sat on the edge of the house. There were quite a few large windows (most likely to let in as much light as possible for Kara's Kryptonian liking).

"Please wait here, Stefan." Lena requested as she exited the Mercedes and walked up the steps to the front door.

She rang the doorbell at the side of the white door and hoped that wherever Kara was in the home, she would be able to hear it.

Within three seconds, the door swung open and there stood Kara. "L-LENA?!"

Lena crossed her arms over her abdomen and squeezed herself. "Kara. Hi."

Kara glared. "What are you doing here, Lena? It's been over a year!"

"I-I know that, but… I was just wondering if maybe you'd like to get some coffee sometime? Perhaps just to talk? I've missed you."

Kara scoffed. "You've missed me? _Really_? You made it perfectly clear that you wanted nothing to do with me. You can't just break up with me, disappear, refuse to acknowledge my existence for over a year, and then show up at my doorstep unannounced and say you miss me. You broke my heart, Lena."

"I know." Lena agreed, "I screwed up. I screwed up _majorly_ , and I hate myself for it more than anything, but I can't not see you. I've missed you so much, Kara.  
I left National City because I was angry, and at the time I thought it was at you, but the more I started getting settled in Gotham, the more I realized I was actually angry at myself. For a multitude of things, like the fact that you didn't feel safe enough to tell me. That I didn't realize that you were Supergirl sooner. Etc.  
You had every right to keep your identity a secret, and I'm sorry it was forced out of you the way that it was, but I need you to know that I am sorry for the way I acted, and I'm sorry for hurting you."

Kara sighed and shook her head. "I can't do this right now; you should leave."

Lena felt like she'd been punched in the gut, but she had prepared for this. "If you wouldn't mind, maybe sometime during the week we could meet up, and talk?"

Kara sucked on her bottom lip for a long few moments, before nodding. "I guess that would be okay."

Just as she said that there was a voice that called out from behind. "Sweetie, who is it?"

Lena's stomach lurched, her heart tore in two as a hand grabbed Kara's and she was met with her 'best friend' kissing Kara's cheek.

"SAM!?"


	2. Chapter 2

"Lena? What are you doing here?" Sam asked indifferently.

"I-," Lena trailed off. "I wanted to see Kara."

Sam guffawed. "You mean like the over four hundred times she tried to see you? Every day for 5 months until she finally gave up because you threatened to get a damn restraining order? She went to you three times a day, every day, for five months, Lena. You don't deserve to look at her, let alone speak with her. There's only so many times you can push someone away before they stop trying to be with you, and you reached your limit!"

"I thought you had the hots for James!" Lena yelled at Sam. "Why are you smooching on Kara?"

Sam furrowed her brow. "Well, because we're _dating_? Which, I'm sure you would have known if you'd stayed in contact with anyone. You didn't even say goodbye, Lena… You abandoned us _all_! Me, Alex, Ruby, and most importantly _Kara_. You destroyed her for months, Lena! You had no right to treat her the way that you did, and moreover, you had no right to abandon everyone, especially Kara, for something so stupid!"

Kara shook her head and stepped in between the quarreling ex-best friends. "Stop it! I'm not a damsel in distress, Babe. I can take care of myself." She asserted.

"Sorry. I'll go inside and let you handle this. But don't forget we have dinner with your sister tonight." Sam announced loudly.

Lena broke at that revelation. Sam had Alex's approval… which meant that there was no way in hell that they'd just gotten together. They'd had to have been together for at least two or three months… _minimum_.

"She hates me now… Huh?"

Kara made a 'so-so' gesture with her hand and then laughed half-heartedly. "She was pretty pissed when you left."

"I should have called her… I should have called you too, but I was so ashamed, Kara… I knew that if I looked at your face, I'd lose it. The guilt still eats me up to this day. I should have never threatened you with that restraining order. I should have done a lot of things differently."

Kara nodded. "Yeah. But the past is the past I suppose. We've moved on, right?"

That comment chipped a little bit more at Lena's heart, but she nodded. "Of course!" She lied.

"Well, I have to get around. Sam, Ruby, and I have to get to Alex's by six. Give me your number, and I'll text you so we can schedule that coffee, okay?"

Lena frowned, hating that this was what she came back too, but she nodded and did as requested, giving Kara the number she'd switched to in an effort to avoid Kara getting in contact with her. "I will talk to you soon?" She asked hopefully.

Kara nodded. "Yes. Soon. See you later, Lena."

Lena smiled sadly. "I'll see you later." She replied before turning back towards her waiting car.

As she walked away, it took everything she had in her to stop herself from crying… Kara was happy without her, and although that broke her heart, Lena refused to interfere with it.

"You have a lot of nerve." Sam seethed behind her.

Lena turned around to see Kara had already gone inside and frowned. "Sam, I'm sorry that I never called, I was ju-,"

" _Soooo ashamed_." Sam mocked. "Yes. I heard. I heard your bullshit excuses for your cowardice, and I'm here to tell you to stay away from her. You've hurt her enough."

"Why are you even with her, Sam? Just to spite me?" Lena asked, anger running through her.

"No," Sam stated firmly. "I'm with her because you abandoned us both, and we helped each other cope, and eventually along the way, we fell in love. That's why I'm with her. Not everything is about you. You would understand if you were actually here to see the fall out of your rash exit. It was bad, Lena… Really bad, which is why I need you to stay away from her. You're just going to bring back up old hurt, and she doesn't deserve that. She deserves happiness, and that's what I'm giving her."

Lena's heart was on fire with envy, guilt, and regret. "If you are making her so happy you have nothing to worry about."

Sam shook her head. "I have Kara, and I will always worry about her. I'm not jealous, in fact, I'm perfectly secure with where our relationship stands, but I cannot, and _will_ not let you hurt her again by disappearing after you have become friends again, because you will. She'll forgive you eventually because she's such a kind person, and as soon as she does, she's going to start caring for you again. So don't do this. Don't come back and make her care about you if you're just going to lave us all over again."

Lena had tears falling from her face; her heart was in pieces. "I'm moving back to National City, Sam. I'll never hurt her again."

Sam stared at her for a few moments, seeming to be appraising her sincerity. After a few moments, she sighed in resignation. "You don't deserve her, but you aren't going to hurt her again so I can't interfere."

Lena swallowed back the lump in her throat. "Really?"

Sam sighed and pinched her temples with her index finger and thumb. "Really. I don't want her to be friends with someone who has no respect for others, but I can't stop her."

Lena's heart yearned to hug Sam, to apologize and make amends for her past wrongdoings, but by the looks of it, it was going to take years for that to happen. So, all she could do was say how she felt. "I'm sorry that I hurt you, Sam."

Sam scoffed. "Actions speak louder than words, Lena… and your actions say otherwise."

 **XXX**

Three days later, Lena was still awaiting Kara's text, and although she was anticipating it, she was also straightening everything out with her company.

So, she was knee deep in paperwork when her phone finally went off.

She immediately ran to her cellphone and unlocked it to read the text.

 **Kara:** _Hey, it's Kara._

Lena smiled, her heart alight with joy from finally receiving the text she'd been longing for.

 **Lena:** _I never lost your number darling. I knew who you were. :)_

 **Kara:** _Oh. So you_ _ **could**_ _have called…_

Lena's heart fell.

 **Lena:** _Kara, I wanted to…_

 **Kara:** _But you didn't, and you made me feel like an ass for trying to get to you._

 **Lena:** _Please give me a chance to earn back your friendship._

Lena held her breath and hoped for the best.

 **Kara:** _This afternoon, at 3… Noonan's? We can talk there._

Lena squealed.

 **Lena:** _I'll be there._

 **XXX**

Lena sat in the dining room at Noonan's a little before 2:30… just in case Kara showed up early too.

She sat and thought back on all the dates she and Kara had shared there. The kissing, the whispering, the giggling. She missed it all. She wanted Kara back more than anything, but Kara's happiness meant everything to her, and she was happy with Sam, so Lena decided that she'd take the high-road and go back to pining for Kara in the silence the way she had before they'd gotten together.

Soon enough, the clock hit 2:56, and in stepped Kara Danvers in all her beauty. She was breathtakingly gorgeous as she walked over in her flannel shirt. "Hi." She greeted Lena as she sat down across from her.

Lena's heart skipped a beat. She smiled. "Thank you for seeing me."

Kara shrugged. "I'd like some answers, you want to give them, so I guess this is mutually beneficial."

"I'd first like to start by ordering you a coffee. Is that okay?" Lena asked nervously.

Kara nodded. "Sure. That'd be nice."

 **XXX**

After Lena had ordered their coffees, they sat in a long, awkward silence until finally, Lena could no longer take it. "I'm sorry."

Kara inhaled profoundly and fiddled with er glasses as she nodded. "I know."

"I need you in my life, Kara."

"Why now?" Kara asked irritated. "You had over a year. Why now?"

"Because I missed you more than I could ever imagine." Lena shook her head, reminding herself not to tell Kara how she truly felt. "I missed you as my best friend more than anything,"

Kara nodded. "So, why were you so angry with me? Why threaten to have me arrested? Why threaten to get a restraining order? Why not instead of having Jess do all the talking to me, come and just tell me how you felt? Regardless if you wanted to be with me back then or not?"

Lena let out a shaky breath. "I threatened you because I was scared. I refused to see you because I was ashamed, and I knew that if I saw your face, the guilt would consume me. I was a coward, and I couldn't face you even when I wanted to. I know I hurt you, Kara, believe me I do, I hurt myself right along with you, but I couldn't face you. I hate myself for the way I reacted, and I am honored to be friends with Supergirl, I just wish that you felt safe enough to tell me."

Kara shook her head. "It had nothing to do with that, Lena. It had everything to do with me being scared that you would be an even bigger target than you already were if you knew my identity. I wanted to tell you, but every time I got ready to, my fears kept me from doing it. But it was my secret to tell, and your mother using my identity to (successfully) break us up was not part of the plan."

Lena swallowed a hot gulp of her coffee. "I'm sorry she did that."

Kara shrugged. "You made your own choice, not your mother."

And oh did that hurt to hear. "I-I know that."

Kara nodded. "I know you do. I'm just saying; it wasn't your mother's fault you left."

"You're right. It wasn't. It was mine, and I am sorry, Kara."

"I know you are, and I'm trying to forgive you, but it's hard," Kara admitted, her voice shaky. "You have no idea the unimaginable pain I went through when you left me, Lena. Alex tried her hardest to be there for me, and it worked, but she didn't know you the way I did. Only Sam and she was going through the same betrayal I was, so we started to comfort each other. Alex helped, she really did, but not the extent that mine and Sam's mutual bonds to you did. Even with Sam though, it took forever to get over you."

Lena's heart broke… Kara was over her. "How long?" Her voice broke, so she cleared her throat and started over. "How long have you and Sam been together?"

Kara smiled the first genuine smile of the night at the mention of her new relationship. "Four months officially."

A knife jabbed into Lena's chest… She'd come back four months too late. "Oh. So right at a year after I left?"

Kara nodded. "About nine months after you left I started realizing that I had feelings for her, but I wanted to make sure they were serious before I did anything about them, so I waited three months to be sure. Then when the time came, I asked her out, she said she'd been wanting to ask me out for months, and the rest is history."

Lena hated this. Hated that her ex-best friend and her ex-girlfriend were together. Hated that Kara was with someone that wasn't her. Hated that she had hurt Kara so severely… She hated everything about this damned situation. "That's lovely." She lied. "I'm happy for you,"

Kara's smile grew brighter. "Thank you, Lena. That means a lot."

Lena smiled, glad that her opinion still meant something to Kara. "You're welcome, Kara. I just want you to be happy."


	3. Chapter 3

They sat and talked for a few more hours talking about what they'd missed the past sixteen months.

Kara didn't like how she felt around Lena… She felt the pain of her abandonment all over again, but she also had so many things she wanted to know. She still didn't understand why she would run, to begin with. Nothing seemed to make sense, Lena's reasoning did not excuse what she did in Kara's opinion.

Sure, the running she could get, she could even understand Lena ignoring her for a month or two while she processed the information… but the threats? Disappearing for a _year_? None of that made sense to Kara, and quite honestly the way Lena just popped back up and expected an apology to fix everything made Kara angry. What the hell did she think was going to happen?

 **XXX**

Two days later, Lena was sitting on her couch, longing to cuddle with Kara, but then she remembered that Kara snuggled with _Sam_ now… and her heart shattered all over again.

She decided that if she couldn't hold Kara anymore, she could at least text her.

 **Lena:** _Hey_

She waited for a response for about fifteen minutes and then texted again.

 **Lena:** _How is your day going so far today?_

She got a response instantly.

 **Kara:** _It's going fine. Yours?_

Lena smiled and hoped that her next move wouldn't be too presumptuous.

 **Lena:** _I'd like to talk to you about it in person… brunch?_

She only had to wait a moment before the response came.

Kara: Sorry, can't. Brunch with Sam today.

Lena's body felt limp with jealousy as she responded.

 **Lena:** _Oh. That's okay, another time then._

 **Kara:** _I'm free Thursday for brunch if you are. It'd have to be at the office though because I will have to get right back to work._

Lena smiled as she replied.

 **Lena:** _Sounds perfect. I'll be there._

 **XXX**

It was that night when she realized what Kara being in a relationship with Sam meant… It meant that she was likely having sex with her. It meant that they kissed and cuddled and held hands. It meant that the love of Lena's life was doing everything that Lena wanted to be doing with her, with someone else.

It meant that Lena was about to get sick with jealousy.

She knew that she brought this onto herself. Knew that this was all her fault. Knew that if she'd just stayed there and roughed it out they would still be together, but it didn't make any of it less painful.

Kara Danvers was kissing someone else, and that knowledge alone made Lena want to die.

 **XXX**

Lena walked through the elevator doors on the thirty-eighth floor of CatCo, and all eyes focused on her.

Everyone there knew about her past relationship with Kara. Everyone knew that she'd broken Kara's heart, and everyone there loved Kara… so the glares she received weren't unexpected, but they still stung. Although she knew she deserved them.

She walked down the halls until she found Kara's office, the one where they'd spent so much time together when she owned CatCo. She let out a long, deep, steadying breath and knocked.

The door opened a few moments later to show Kara smiling back at her. "Hey."

Lena's heart flipped as Kara stood in front of her with her hair done in a professional bun. She was wearing a pink top, black slacks, and a brown belt… she was the epitome of gorgeous. "Hey," Lena replied as she lifted up two take out bags. "I brought food." She smiled nervously.

Kara smiled and stepped aside to let her in. "Good, I brought an appetite." She laughed hesitantly.

Kara sat behind her desk and gestured for Lena to take the seat opposite her. "Please, sit." She insisted.

Lena did so and placed the two bags on the desk between them. She smiled as she emptied the contents of the first bag. "I got you your favorite." She announced as she placed the container on the desk.

Kara squealed. "Potstickers!"

Lena giggled and nodded. "Potstickers."

"Thank you!" Kara said sincerely. "I'm going to devour these."

Lena smiled as her heart fluttered from making Kara happy… That's all she ever wanted to do.

 **XXX**

They were having a great conversation about the new direction. Cat was taking CatCo, when something caught Lena's eye… The picture on Kara's desk was not the one of Kara giving Alex a noogie; it was of Kara and Sam… kissing.

Lena's stomach churned, her eyes burned with tears and her heart tore in two… she needed to leave.

"Well, I suppose I shall go back to the salt mine." She said, hoping to sound as nonchalant as possible.

Kara nodded. "Yeah, you probably have a lot of C.E.O things to attend to." She teased.

"I'll see you soon, yes?" Lena asked hopefully, her heart in her throat as she fought back tears.

"Sure. I'll text you when I'm available." She answered.

Lena smiled shakily. "Yes, Please do." She replied before turning to leave.

"Are you okay?" Kara asked. "You seem off all of a sudden."

Lena turned around and smiled, fighting back a sob that threatened to rip out of her throat. _No, I'm not fine. You're in love with someone else._ "Yes, I think that the chicken in my salad was bad." She lied.

Kara frowned. "Do you need anything?"

 _Yes, you._ "No," Lena said. "Just some fresh air. I'll see you later."

With that, she was out the door and into the elevator, where she finally let herself break down.

 **XXX**

Kara wasn't sure what to make of Lena's newest behavior. She wanted to hate her, to not want a single thing to do with her, but she was acting like the Lena she had been best friends with, and that Lena was someone that she could never turn away no matter how hurt she was. So, instead of fighting Lena at every turn, she decided to let things play out and see where they ended up… Who knew? Maybe they _could_ be friends again in the distant future.

 **XXX**

 **Kara:** _You home?_

 **Lena:** _Yes. Do you need something?_

 **Kara:** _Open your door._

Lena immediately did as asked, it'd been a week since she saw Kara and she was dying to hear her beautiful voice again. She rushed to the mirror, fixed her lipstick and hair as fast as she could and then ran to the door and opened it.

"I brought ice cream!" Kara singsonged.

Lena giggled. "What brings you out tonight?"

Kara shrugged. "Sam and Ruby are at parent-teacher conferences tonight, and Alex is working late at the D.E.O so I figured I would come say hi… with ice cream."

Lena smiled. "Rocky Road or Butter Pecan?"

Kara smiled conspiratorially. "Both." She whispered.

Lena mock gasped. "Are you trying to fatten me up, Miss Danvers?"

Kara chuckled. "With your workout routine, you're as safe as me on that front."

They both laughed for a moment before Lena sighed, all she wanted to do was lean in and capture Kara's lips with her own… but she didn't get to do that anymore… Sam did.

"Which do you want first?" Kara asked. "Butter Pecan?"

Lena nodded. "Butter Pecan."

They talked and ate, and even laughed, and it felt just like it had felt when they were friends until Kara sighed and put down her carton of Rocky Road. "I can't do this. I can't pretend I'm not mad at you. I can't lie to you and say that I'm not still hurt because you left… because I am, still mad, and I am still hurt."

Lena nodded, her chest clenching with regret. "I understand." She said honestly. "I hurt you in a way no one else has ever hurt you, and because of that you have every right to hate me."

Kara shook her head, "I don't hate you, but I am still hurt, I'm still angry, and I just thought that you should know that."

Lena nodded. "I do, and I tend to do whatever it takes to earn back your forgiveness."

Kara shrugged. "I just need time."

"Time away from me?" Lena asked.

"No. Just… time."

Lena nodded. She could live with that.


	4. Chapter 4

The next time Lena saw Kara, it was four days later. They had texted back and forth occasionally, but their schedules had been too busy for them to meet up until now.

When she saw Kara's beautiful face, Lena's heart skipped a beat, but it immediately dropped when she saw the frown residing on it.

"Kara? Sweetheart, what's wrong?" Lena asked immediately as she walked over to Kara's table

The blonde gestured for Lena to sit down.

"I screwed up. With Sam, I mean... I screwed up big time." Kara cried.

Lena was _absolutely_ sure that nothing Kara could do would make Sam angry enough to cause this reaction, so she knew immediately that this was Kara's self-deprecation talking. "What happened? I'm sure that whatever it is can be resolved. Sam loves you." Saying those last three words were like a dagger to the heart.

"I told Ruby that she could go to a friend's house, but I forgot to let Sam know… She was terrified when she got home, and Ruby wasn't there."

"Where were you?" Lena asked.

"I was at Alex's going over new training techniques for the D.E.O agents."

"So, shouldn't that have been Ruby's responsibility to tell her mother where she was going? She's sixteen now, Kara. She's old enough to send a text." She soothed. "Kara, darling this is her fault, not yours. Yes, you could have made sure she knew, but it was Ruby's responsibility if she knows her mother wants to keep tabs on her."

"She's going to leave me, Lena. I don't want that."

Lena's heart ached at the sight of Kara's heart belonging to someone other than her, but Kara needed a friend, and Lena was there. "She won't, Kara. I know that for a fact."

"I should have told her." Kara cried. "Why didn't I just tell her?"

Lena wanted to cry… Kara was so in love with Sam that a simple mistake set her off into a frenzy of fear… but that was obviously a side effect from the break up of her relationship with Lena. "Hey, Kara… Kara shh. It's okay." She cooed. "It was a simple mistake. One that Ruby had the option to mend had she chosen to do so. This isn't your fault, and Sam will know that."

Kara shook her head. "I should have told her, Lena."

Lena didn't know what to do, Kara seemed terrified that she was about to lose her girlfriend, and although it killed Lena to do it, she had to help.

"Would you be mad?" She asked. "If you didn't know where they were for a few minutes?"

"No. I'd be happy they were okay," Kara replied confusedly.

Lena nodded. "And don't you think that that is how Sam feels too?"

Kara shrugged. "I-I don't know, as soon as I told Sam what I did, and she called Ruby to make sure she was okay, I flew out the window and came here."

"Ah," Lena said. "So, she didn't even say she was angry with you?"

"I-… No." Kara frowned. "But, that's her daughter, Lena. I shouldn't have intervened."

"You two live together, Kara… I think you have a right to intervene if it's that serious already." God that tore Lena to shreds… Kara was living with someone else… which meant they'd most likely gone farther than Lena wanted to think about.

Kara shook her head. "We moved in together as roommates about three months after you, and I broke up. When we started dating, we just kept things the way they were because it worked out well."

"So… you two haven't…"

"Had sex?" Kara asked, her face flushed.

Lena coughed. "I-… Sorry, curiosity got the better of me."

Kara shrugged. "If you really want to know I'll tell you. It's not like it's that big of a secret. She and I are two consenting adults, so of course we have."

That was it. Lena couldn't handle it. She had to get out of there. "I have to go, I just remembered something I forgot to do at the office. I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay? Go home and fix things with your girlfriend."

Kara frowned, "Wait… Lena, what's wrong?"

Lena shook her head. "N-Nothing. I just really have to go." She said as she scrambled for the door.

As soon as she reached the backseat of her car, she broke down in tears... She hated every single part of this situation.

 **XXX**

Lena was working in her office when she heard boots touch down on her balcony. "You left in quite the rush." Kara started. "It got me thinking."

"Oh? About what?"

"How hard it must've been for you to be with me." Kara replied. "I always left our dates like that. Suddenly, without any explanation, or at least not one that made sense… It was rude and annoying. Just like you tonight."

Lena frowned. "I always thought it had to do with you being a reporter. I didn't think anything of it."

Kara shook her head. "Don't lie, Lena. I know it had to be difficult sometimes."

Lena shook her head, because honestly, it wasn't. Being with Kara was the best thing that ever happened to her, and the random exits were never enough to ruin her happiness that Kara's love caused. "I'm being honest Kara. My love for you was strong enough to handle it without much thought."

"Well, either way, I'm sorry I did it."

Lena shook her head. "You were saving the world, that was far more important than dinner dates and chess tournaments."

Kara lowered her head and smiled. "We were good together though, weren't we? We made such a great team."

Lena nodded, her heart yearning to reach out and touch Kara… but they hadn't even hugged yet. Much less held each other. "We were the best."

Kara nodded, a regretful smile on her face. "Do you ever wonder what it would be like right now if you hadn't left?"

 _Every day_. Lena thought

"Sometimes." She said instead.

Kara nodded. "I do too." She paused, "Is that a bad thing?"

Lena laughed. "No, darling… Curiosity is normal. Nothing you could ever do would be bad."

Kara smiled and sat down beside her on the couch. "You were right about Sam."

"Told you so," Lena teased with a wink.

"She was mad at Ruby, not me."

"And rightfully so."

Kara chuckled and shook her head. "Anyway, there was something I wanted to ask of you. Something that I'd like to stay between us."

Lena cocked her head, ready to listen. "Anything." She replied honestly; because she _would_ do _anything_ for Kara.

"I don't want to scare Alex or Sam until I know that there's something to be scared _of_ , but I've been experiencing some pain in my stomach lately, and it won't go away. That's not normal either, because I am supposed to be invulnerable to everything. I've tried to think of any way to stop the pain, but everything I try to do just seems to make it worse. I tried human Tylenol all the way up to Morphine and Fentanyl, but they have no effect on me. I know it's a lot to ask, and I know you're just getting settled back into National City, but I have no one else i can ask with the resources and intelligence that you have. You can say no, but... would you mind being my doctor?"


	5. Chapter 5

"You trust me enough to do that?" Lena asked. "After everything I put you through?"

Kara shrugged. "You broke my heart, not my stomach." She joked.

Lena smiled sadly. "I'll never be able to apologize enough for that. You deserved so much more from me than abandonment."

Kara smiled tensely. "Well, we'll get past it together."

Lena's heart flipped. "Just the way it should have been from the beginning." She said breathlessly.

"We can't change the past, Lena. But we can move forward from it, so let's get down to business. What do you think the problem is?"

Lena puckered her lips. "There could be a problem with the way your body is intaking the sun's radiation. Much like your Evil Doppelganger from Earth X."

Kara frowned. "But it's my abdomen that hurts. Not my heart."

Lena nodded. "I know, that's why I am going to do whatever I can to figure out what is going on. It might just be a simple bug that you are no longer immune to."

Kara nodded. "Alright. Can we start tomorrow?"

Lena smiled through the worry she was feeling and nodded her head. "Of course, we can."

 **XXX**

They met in Lena's lab the following day, Kara in a pair of sweatpants and a loose t-shirt, Lena in a pantsuit and her lab coat. "Okay. So, the first test I think we should run is just a simple blood analysis. We'll get the levels and then go from there. What do you say?"

Kara bit her lip. "How are you going to get my blood?"

"Oh don't worry, no kryptonite. I have a red sun lamp from when we…" She cut herself off and cleared her throat. "I have a red sun lamp."

Kara nodded. "Okay. Blood work it is."

 **XXX**

Kara laid on the medical bed under the red sun lamp, arm bared and ready for Lena to prick with the needle when she said something that took Lena's breath away.

"You look beautiful today, Lee."

Lena almost dropped the needle. "Th-thank you, Kara. You always look beautiful."

Kara smiled and shook her head. "No, I don't, but thank you for trying to make me feel better."

Lena frowned. "I'm sure Sam thinks you're always beautiful."

Kara chuckled. "Except when I have morning breath."

 _I never cared about your morning breath._ "Oh?"

Kara nodded. "She says my morning breath could wake the dead."

 _It really isn't that bad unless you forget to brush your teeth before bed._ "I'm sure she's just teasing."

"No." Kara laughed, "She really won't kiss me until I brush them."

A sure of anger towards Sam rushed through Lena… Why would she be so petty? She had the luxury of Kissing Kara Danvers; she shouldn't squander it. "Well, that's her prerogative I suppose." She said as calm as she could. "Now, you're going to feel a little pinch, and it'll be all over, okay?"

Kara nodded and then flinched slightly as the needle inserted itself into her vein. Lena watched as the dark red blood entered the vile and decided to change the subject. "Your blood is darker than a human's."

"Is it?" Kara asked as she looked at the bag. "I don't really ever see it so I wouldn't know."

Lena huffed out a laugh. "I'd say that's a pretty good thing, wouldn't you?"

"Not knowing the color of my blood?" Kara asked thoughtfully. "Yeah, I suppose that is."

 **XXX**

They were waiting for the tests to come back when Kara brought up another topic that Lena wasn't ready to deal with. "Have you been seeing anyone?"

 _No, because you don't love me anymore._ "No." Was all she could manage to say.

"Why not?"

Lena pursed her lips, trying to find the right words. "The one for me isn't an option."

"Who is this mystery person?" Kara asked, curiosity evident on her face.

Lena let out a sardonic laugh, knowing that she couldn't tell her the truth. "That's for me to know and you never to find out."

The machine buzzed, signaling that the test results were ready. Lena looked them over and frowned. "Let's get you into the Cat Scan." She said as calmly as she could manage.

 **XXX**

She was terrified about what they were going to find in the imaging. The results of Kara's blood analysis came back with twice as much ionized radiation than there should have been, which Lena could fix quickly, but what she couldn't fix was tumors… and Kara was complaining about pain.

She looked at the scans, each one making Lena's heart fall further and further into the pit of her stomach… Kara didn't just have one tumor… She had eight.

"What's wrong, Lena? Is it bad?"

Lena bit her lip to stop it from quivering. "I… Um… I think it's time we worry your sister and Sam."

Kara frowned. "Oh."

 **XXX**

Alex had verbally assaulted Lena the moment she answered the phone, "Why the fuck are you calling me?" Alex asked. "I don't know who you think you are. But you can't just break my sister's heart and disappear for no reason. Come back, and expect all to be forgiven."

Lena sighed, realizing just how many people were no longer fond of her. "Alex, you can beat my ass later, right now this is serious, I need you to come to my lab."

"And why the hell would I do that?"

"It's Kara, Alex… She's not well."

 **XXX**

Sam and Alex both showed up around the same time, and Lena had told them everything she knew, and about why she couldn't do the surgeries herself… she had no medical degree, and Alex did.

Now, it was time to explain this all to Kara and hope she wouldn't take it as hard as all three of them were.

 **XXX**

"I need surgery?"

Alex nodded. "Kar', your body is fighting against the ionization in your bloodstream, which can be fixed, but the tumors are all over in your abdomen, and they need to come out first, but we can't let the sun heal them and spread even more radiation through your body. You'll have to stay here or at the D.E.O until the surgeries are finished, and you heal under a red sun lamp. After that, we can give you a serum that will regulate the radiation in your body and help your body rejuvenate itself with the Sun's rays again. Your cousin had to do this before too."

Kara looked terrified as she clung on to Sam for dear life… but it wasn't Sam she looked at for advice. "Lena? What do you think I should do?"

Lena's heart swelled with joy that Kara cared about what she thought. "I think you should listen to us and let your sister remove the tumors asap."

Kara gulped, kissed Sam's forehead and nodded. "Let's do this."


End file.
